Monday, September 8, 2014

July, August, September

July 21, 2014

This week was good. We continued a really fun branch activity on saturday... I'm part of the primary because you cant leave the primary by themselves so, basically we earn points for ever activity we win, like bobbing for apples, scripture chases, we had a scavenger hunt and played pictionary. Also for every investigator or less active you bring to church you get 20 points... so all in all the primary is winning. We are working hard here, it´s starting to get hot because winter is ending... There never was winter here. but anyway i´ll send photos

love you mean it,

Sister Leonard

July 28, 2014

One Year

This Thursday marks one year of being on the mission. Crazy how time flies when you´re having fun. This past weekend President and Sister Soares were here in Cajazeiras to do interviews. It was great to talk with them. Sister J and are kinda sorta opening a new area, we aren´t allowed to proselyte but we can work through references, there are two members that live there, we are going to try to start up family home evening with the missionaries, so one day each week we are going to start visiting São João Rio do Peixe... what a name. St. John River of Fish... there isn´t even a river or fish there. Transfers are next week so I wont be on until Wednesday. Just as a fun reminder. Also lunches have been falling a bit lately.... So if you could send me some recipes of things that are quick and easy and inexpensive to make that´d be a blessing and a half. All in all that´s about it for my week. I'm trying to think like the energizer bunny and just keep going, these past two weeks I've been pretty low on energy, but that just shows I'm working lots right? Well, it started raining here.... that’s a huge surprise/miracle. Hope all is well with yáll.

love sister Leonard

August 6, 2014

so the good thing about transfers is it delays p-day so there is always a lot to tell, it´s just that there is too much to tell now. sister J and I will stay together one more transfer here in Cajazeiras. Recently its been heating up... which i though was impossible, its like hell with a turbo heater. But´s its better than being freezing right? So last week I celebrated 1 year on the mission that´s kinda weird. The elders here mock me because I'm from Texas... so they got me a cowboy hat and a cord to be my lasso.... it was pretty funny. Then we went to eat chinese food because I'm my mothers daughter. Right, the phrase at the top `gotta think positive` is something the people here say a lot, especially when they are making promises. Speaking of promises I promised this old man that we are teaching that I´d help him reconnect with his daughter... His name is F, when we first met him he told me his daughter and grandson live in Texas. but he didn't remember the city. Yesterday when we were there he showed me an envelope that he received from her a couple years ago... you´ll never guess where she lives. Highland Village. So your project this week is to find R S (pretty sure that´s the last name) she lives at***************. maybe you could send the missionaries there and teach her the gospel as well. It’s been a couple years since they've written, and F misses her a lot. If you could just pass by there and tell her to write or something that´d be awesome. This is my project:small world. But ya I’ll send a pic for you as proof that we are teaching her father, you can show it to her or something. Let me know how it goes. Love you all:)

Sister Leonard

August 11, 2014

I don't really have too much to write about this week. but I'm alive I'm well. It’s starting to heat up here (i didn't even know that was possible). We are working hard to build Zion here... we are starting to season of holidays ( pretty sure Brazil is the country with the most holidays ever) I'm pretty sure I wrote about this last year when I got here... basically until the end of the year every weekend has a holiday, it starts more in Oct, but depending on which state you are in it can start in sept/aug. Thanks for finding the S. F will love the picture.

Love you mean it:)

August 18

Catchy title here

How weird that everyone is starting to come home from the mission and get married... sorry to here about Dan Goodman... he was a good man. I remember y'all talking about him and I´d probably recognize a pic. But what a blessing we have the plan of salvation and we know it´ll all work out in the end. This week was good. We had lots of people at church, we are working hard to help this branch grow. We had a great zone conference and learned lots of great things:) I made your brownies and maybe gave out the recipe to some elders... its like the gospel you just have to share. F loved the picture of little M, thanks for that. This week i´m going to do a division... I think in the states it´s called exchanges... with sister C, I'm excited it´ll be a party.... a very spiritually enlightening, reverent party:) So there is my quick update for you. love you all

Sister Leonard

August 25, 2014

Oh Cajazeiras

This week was awesome. We did divisions, so i was with Sister C (lived with her in Natal) she´s awesome, love her. Anyway she helped a lot, I learned a lot. Yesterday we baptized Diego and Francisco, they are brothers, basically Dan and Doug as far as personality. They are awesome. We met them through their younger brother, who doesn't have much interest in the church yet, but we met him on the street about 3 months ago and he gave us his address but said the wrong street (it wasn't on purpose, the roads here are whack.) Then we met him again on the street and got a better reference point, when we stopped by to visit his brothers happened to be home, which is a miracle because they work a ton and are nearly never at home. But they are amazing and received the message of the gospel really well. Their baptism was beautiful and everyone is happy;). That's about it for now. We are still teaching english every saturday. Oh this week the city celebrated 151 years, so there was a huge party/parade it was pretty special i´ll try to send pics and i took some videos.

love you

sister Leonard

September 1, 2014

All good in the hood

This week was a good one, full of lots of work and lots of sweat. we have been working on finding lots of families to teach, this week was cool because we had 3 people contact us saying ´hey pass by in my house i want to learn about Jesus´ we are working on helping the members be good missionaries too, we've started the missionary month. Each week we do a little training on how to contact people and how to teach a little bit of the lessons, stuff like that.They have little name tags and companionships and everything. there is a point system and the companionship that wins will win a trip to get their patriarchal blessings. which is a pretty big deal. All in all I'm good, how can you not be happy with Jesus by your side... :)

love you all

Sister Leonard

September 8, 2014

This week was good. Williane got baptized on tuesday. She was a reference from another branch. Her cousin is a member and she went to church one day with her and liked it and wanted to be apart of it, who wouldn't want to be a part of this church? she is awesome, she stared doing personal progress before we even finished teaching her everything.

This is the last week of the transfer so I wont be on until wednesday or Thursday next week, just as a reminder. that´s about it for this week.... mom everyone says you are behind on letters... please up date my blog.:) thanks I’ll send pics